9 Top Tips To Get a Healthy Vegan Glow

Almost everyday, these days, somebody tells me that I’m glowing. The truth of the matter is, that I’ve not only struggled with anorexia but acne for over two years, and the one thing that has cleared my skin significantly and brought me that “healthy glow” back more than anything else has been going vegan. Even as a vegetarian, painful cystic acne formed along my jaw line at twenty-one and it took eliminating hormone laden cows milk and meat stuffs for my own hormonal situation to calm down.

It’s become clear to me that the connection between peoples complexions certainly has something to do with their dietary intake. The people who are eating the most plant based produce into their diets are at their glowiest!

I do believe, however, that healthy skin is an outward reflection of overall health and that there are other factors that contribute to health and beauty, such as getting enough sleep, drinking enough pure water, fresh air, moderate exercise, and having an overall positive outlook on life. Here are a few other interesting additions that made my list too…

Top 9 Tips For Glowing Skin

1. Avoid foods you have allergies or sensitivities to.

This may be obvious, but its surprising how many people eat or drink things that they are sensitive to just for the enjoyment or because of social pressure. However, eating foods you have allergies or sensitivities to will cause inward inflammation and outwardly, your appearance will lack glimmer as well. The most common allergens are wheat, dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, fish, eggs, and shellfish. You can discover you own sensitivities by listening closely to your body and keeping a food log of how you feel after you eat different foods or trying an elimination diet.

2. Eliminate sugar, junk and processed foods.

The more fresh, unprocessed foods you eat, and the less sugar and junk food – the better your skin will look. Fact. You will see a direct correlation. Try to experiment with Green Smoothies once a week, a protein rich salad in the evening, or a home made soup for lunch and see what type of an effect it has on your skin. A little more veg can make the world of difference!

3. Eat Silicon rich foods.

Silicon is known as the “beauty mineral” promoting elastic skin and connective tissue throughout the body. It therefore reduces wrinkles, improves the strength and thickness of the skin and gives nails and hair a healthy appearance too. Some silicon-rich foods are radishes, spinach, cucumbers (with peels), romaine lettuce, peppers, oats, tomatoes and baby greens.

4. Zinc!

Zinc is a powerful anti-inflammatory that keeps lymph circulating through the body. Its vital for a healthy immune system, it helps to heal the skin after an attack of acne, wounds, and prevents visible signs of ageing. Zinc-rich foods can be found in poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pecans, sesame seeds, leafy green vegetables, lentils, tofu, almonds, and whole grains.

5. Sulfur-rich foods

Sulfur-rich foods make the skin radiant and help to give that all important glow. Sulfur in food in crucial for healthy joins, nails, hair and it is said to heal scars from wounds and acne. You can buy beauty products containing sulfur as well as eating this clever chemical element! Rocket (argula), onions, garlic, radishes, pumpkin seeds, brocolli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, hemp seeds, and watercress are all sulfur-rich and easy additions to a plant-based vegan diet.

In David Wolfe’s book, ‘Eating For Beauty‘, he writes, ““Iron-rich blood produces a soft glowing tint of beauty visible just underneath the skin. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Swiss Chard, and parsley are rich in iron, as are Jerusalem artichokes, beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds, millet, figs, dried apricots and dates. To absorb the iron from these foods, you must eat them with vitamin C rich foods. And note that drinking coffee close to meals inhibits iron absorption, so cut out those after meal espressos!” – You’ve been told by a guy from the top!

8. Cut down on caffeine

As with everything – moderation is key here. Coffee really, is false fuel as a lot of us use the caffeine to keep us going when we are truly exhausted. If you struggle to wake up without a coffee (I know I do!), it can be helpful to go to bed a little earlier to ensure you are getting more sleep to rest your body for the next day. Coffee might temporarily liven you up, but it certainly won’t hide those dark circles and dull skin.

9. Be careful what products you use on your face.

Quite often, especially after getting hot and sweaty at the gym or the beach, just thoroughly rinsing your face with warm water is all you need. If you feel you need a little more than that or you need to take your make-up off, I recommend a natural skin-care product like this Green People Cleanser – made without soap, SLS or alcohol that won’t irritate skin. My acne-prone oily skin gets beautiful results with this brands products, especially when pairing it with a muslin cloth which I purchased from a local fabric shop! Muslin cloths are a perfect alternative to washing your face with a flannel or your hands as they are gentle on the skin while getting rid of the dead skin cells and excess sebum, make-up residues, and dirt.

I hope these tips helped in getting you all that Vegan Glow, and remember…“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in; their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Do you have any other tips to share that helped you to get a healthy glow?

Great tips. I love eating sweet foods but it does play havoc with my sleep from time to time if I eat a bit too much. Luckily I’ve never had any serious skin issues, just a few spots if I’m stressed. All those foods on the sulfur-rich list are things I eat regularly so I’m happy about that 🙂 Probably drink too much coffee tho…

Ok I’ve been vegan for three months now and I’ve definitely noticed that my acne has gone wayyyy down. However, even with a huge reduction in caffeine intake and eating lots of broccoli and spinach, I’ve still got dull circles under my eyes almost constantly. And what’s worse, I eat carrots and sweet potatoes and my palms have an orange tint to them! Any tips to help with the circles or orange palms?
~ Samantha
samsamcherie.blogspot.com

I have often heard of a vegan diet clearing up skin!! I never had a lot of acne growing up, but I do feel as though I glow more due to my diet now, or so I am told too. Sugar is one thing I have to pay attention to, because I can sometimes get out of control with my treat intake. Thus my skin is affected!! It’s quite amazing how the body reacts even slightly!

I agree I really like the Green People products- I have started using the foaming face wash (although it is foam when it comes out of the bottle) and it seems gentle but effective, and it smells good too.